This document discusses various mechanisms that can cause variation in igneous rocks, including magmatic differentiation, assimilation, and magma mixing. It defines primary and parental magmas and explains that over 700 types of igneous rocks exist despite only a few primary magma types. The key mechanisms of magmatic differentiation discussed are fractional crystallization, liquid immiscibility, vapor transport, and thermal diffusion. Assimilation and magma mixing are also explained as additional processes that can change a magma's composition and result in diverse rock types. Specific examples like carbonatites and unusual rock compositions provide evidence of these differentiation and mixing processes.